Method and apparatus for weaving fabrics with severed weft yarns and fabric made by the method and apparatus



Jan. 2, 1968 J. KATHRINER 3,361,

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING FABRICS WITH SEvEP-ED WEFT YARNS ANDFABRIC MADE BY THE METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 16, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet 1 i'K E ZZ 1 21 W lg 44 43 42 Fly. 4 41 35 45 w *i f 32 six23 Inventor: j 4mm Quad; M A741 444? Jan. 2, 1968 J. KATHRINER 3,361,164

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING FABRICS WITH SEVERED WEFT YARNS ANDFABRIC MADE BY THE METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 16, 1965 3Shaets-$heet 2 Invenior: (WW

Jan. 2, 1968 J. KATHRINER 3,361,164

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING FABRICS WITH SEVERED WEFI' YARNS ANDFABRIC MADE BY THE METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 16, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet 45 Inventor: IMAM United States Patent 3,361,164 METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR WEAVING FAB- RICS WITH SEVERED WEFT YARNS AND FABRIC MADEBY THE METHOD AND AP- PARATUS Josef Kathriner, Winterthur, Switzerland,assignor to Sulzer Brothers Limited, Winterthur, Switzerland, 2 Swisscompany Filed June 16, 1965, Ser. No. 464,490 Claims priority,application Switzerland, June 19, 1964, 7,946/64 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-122)This invention relates to the production of fabrics in which the weftyarn is severed after insertion of each pick and the ends of the yarnsare tucked into the fabric to form the selvages. More particularly, theinvention resides in a method of making such fabrics, in which thetucked-in ends of each weft yarn are held securely in place during theinsertion of the neck pick by warp yarns specially manipulated for thepurpose. The invention also includes a loom by which the new method canbe advantageously practiced, and a fabric produced by the method.

In the production of fabrics of the type above referred to by thepractice of the usual method on known looms, the ends of each weft yarnhanging down from the severed inserted yarn are tucked by selvageneedles into the warp shed formed in the next cycle of loom operation ata time when all the warp yarns are in the open shed position. Thetucking in of the ends of the weft yarns can be readily carried out withyarns of natural fibers but, when the weft yarn or the warp yarns orboth are smooth or stiff or resilient, the tucked-in ends of the weftyarn have a tendency to spring out of the shed so that these ends cannotbe properly beaten up and unsatisfactory selvages are produced. Typicalyarns having the tendency referred to are those made of continuoussynthetic fibers of nylon, rayon, etc. Synthetic fibers have smoothsurfaces and yarns of continuous synthetic fibers thus do not have thesurface irregularities of natural fibers or the short fibers present inspun yarns, which help to hold the tucked-in ends of such yarns in placein open warp sheds.

The present invention is, accordingly, directed to a provision of anovel method of weaving a fabric of interlaced yarns and severed weftyarns having their ends tucked in, which overcomes the difficultiesencountered in the practice of prior methods of weaving similar fabrics.The invention also includes a loom having appropriate novel features forthe practice of the method and a fabric made by the method.

In the practice of the new method by the loom, warp yarns, which may bereferred to as presser warp yarns and at least one of which liesadjacent to each selvage of the goods, are raised and loweredindependently of the other warp yarns in the fabric. During each cyclein the weaving operation, a warp shed is formed with all the presserwarp yarns in open position. Upon the comletion of this shed, each ofthe presser warp yarns is moved to a central shed position and a pick ofweft yarn is inserted into the shed. During the picking operation, theends of the severed weft yarn inserted in the preceding cycle are tuckedinto the shed by selvage needles between the central shed position ofthe presser warp yarns and their previous open shed position. As thetuckingin operation proceeds, the presser warp yarns are moved towardtheir previous open shed positions and, When the tucking-in operation iscomplete, the presser warp yarns act to press the tucked-in ends of theweft yarns against other warp yarns and hold these ends securely inplace until the shed changes. The loom for practicing the method is ofthe conventional type cm- Patented Jan. 2, 1968 ployed for weavingfabrics with severed weft yarns but includes additional means for thehandling of the presser warp yarns as described. The new fabric dilfersfrom similar prior fabrics in the presence of the presser warp yarnswhich act to bind the tucked-in ends of the Weft yarns in properposition.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made tothe accompanying drawings, in which FIGS. 1-5, incl., are diagrammaticperspective views illustrating different stages in the practice of themethod;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic perspective views showing modificationsin the method;

FIG. 8 is a view in front elevation of a loom for the practice of themethod of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through a part of the loomof FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of an alternative feature of the loom.

In FIGS. 1-5, incl., there is illustrated the weaving of a fabric 4having a selvage zone 23 containing five main or standard warp yarns 31,32, 34, 35 and 36, and a separately shedded warp 33 hereinafter called apresser yarn. In FIG. 1, a shed has been formed in which the yarns 31,34, and 36 are in the top shed position and the yarns 32, 33, and 35 inthe bottom shed position. In the previous weaving cycles, weft yarns 41,42, 43, and 44 have been inserted in warp sheds and their respectiveends 37, 38, and 39 have been tucked into the shed formed in the weavingcycle following the one in which those yarns were respectively inserted.The yarn 44 has been inserted in the last completed cycle and has beenbeaten up but its end 45 projecting out of the fabric has not beentucked Upon the changing of the shed following the picking of the weftyarn 44, the warp yarn 33, which is initially in the bottom shedposition, is moved to central shed position (FIG. 2) as the weft yarn 46is picked into the shed. In such central shed position, the presser warpyarn lies below the fiight path of the shuttle 12 picking the yarn 46(FIG. 9). Just before the picking of yarn 46 is completed, a selvageneedle 47, which has penetrated the shed from below, moves parallel withthe weft yarn 46 with the hook 48 of the needle pointing toward theprojecting end 45 of the weft yarn 44 inserted in the preceding cycle.The selvage needle in cooperation with an edge yarn clamp (not shown)engages the end 45 of the yarn 44 and moves back to draw the end intothe shed. The path of the needle lies below the central shed position ofthe presser warp yarn 33 (FIG. 9) and, before the hook 48 reaches theyarn, the yarn is caused to return to its previous bottom shed positionshown in FIG. 1.

The needle 47 continues to draw the yarn end 45 into the shed and,during this movement of the needle. the yarn 33 presses against the topof the needle. As soon as the needle passes from beneath the presseryarn 33, that yarn presses the end 45 against the warp yarn 32, 35 inthe bottom shed position and this clamping action prevents the yarn fromspringing out of the shed. The needle 47 is so constructed that its book48 will not engage any of the warp yarns while the end 45 is being drawnin.

When the tucking-in of the end 45 of weft yarn 44 and the picking ofweft yarn 46 are completed, the yarn 46 and the tucked-in end 45 arebeaten up by the reed 8 (FIG. 3) to the fell 24 of the fabric (FIG. 9).The shed then changes with the yarns 31, 34, 36 moving to bottom shedposition, and the presser warp yarn 33 remaining in bottom shedposition. The shed so formed is illustrated in FIG. 4, in which the end51 of the weft yarn 46 projects out of the selvage 23 as did the end 45of yarn 44 at the start of the preceding weaving cycle. Another cycle ofoperations, including picking, tucking, and beating up, is then carriedout and the cycles are repeated indefinitely.

The fabric shown in FIGS. 1-4, incl., is of the plain or linen weave butthe warp yarns may be handled to produce any desired weave. However, inall such weaves, the pressure warp yarn always moves from an open shedposition to a central shed position after each pick and before theselvage needle penetrates the shed. Also, as the end of the weft yarninserted in the previous weaving cycle is being tucked in by the selvageneedle, the presser warp returns to open shed position so that it willclamp the tucked-in end against other warp yarns.

In the form of the method illustrated in FIG. 5, the presser warp yarn33 moves from a bottom shed position to a central shed position and thenreturns to the bottom shed position during each loom cycle. Each pick.of weft yarn is inserted into the shed outside the space between thepresser warp yarn in its central shed position and the previous openshed position of the yarn, while each weft yarn end is tucked into theshed in the space between the presser warp yarn in its central shedposition and the previous open shed position of the yarn. As aconsequence, the presser warp yarn clamps the tucked-in ends of weftyarns against those warp yarns in the bottom shed position in the cycle,in which the tucking-in of the end occurs.

In the form of the method shown in FIG. 6, the presser warp yarn 53moves in each loom cycle from top shed position to central shed positionand is then returned to top shed position. In its central shed position,the presser yarn lies beneath the path of travel of the sclvagc needleso that the free end of the weft yarn picked in the preceding loom cycleis tucked into the shed in the space between the presser warp yarn inits central shed position and the previous open shed position of theyarn. The pick is inserted into the shed outside the space between thepresser warp yarn in its central shed position and its previous openshed position. The presser warp yarn thus clamps the tucked-in end ofeach weft yarn against the Warp yarns in the upper shed position in thecycle, in which the tuckingin occurs.

In the form of the method shown in P16. 7, two presser warp yarns 33, 53are employed in each selvage zone. Of these, the yarn 33 moves in eachcycle from bottom shed position to a central shed position which isbeyond closed shed position and then returns, while the yarn 53 movesfrom top shed position to a central shed position which is beyond closedshed position and then returns. As a result. the two presser yarnsengage the tucked-in end of each weft yarn from opposite sides and holdit securely.

In the practice of the method, more than one presser warp yarn may beemployed in each sclvage zone with both yarns being handled as one.Thus, in each loom cycle. both yarns move from the same open shedposition to central shed position and then return.

In the practice of the method with a single presser warp yarn in eachselvagc Zone. the yarn may alternate, for example, between bottom shedposition and central shed position, as shown in FIGS. 1-5, incl., for anumber of picks, such as or 20. The shedding of the presser warp yarnmay then be altered so that it alternates between top shed position andcentral shed position for a selected number of picks. The operation isthen again changed and the original shedding sequence followed, in whichthe presser warp yarn alternates between bottom shed position andcentral shed position.

The loom (FIG. 8) for the practice of the method includes side frames 1,2 between which a warp beam 21, a cloth beam 3 for taking up the fabric4, and the usual warp and cloth guiding and tensioning means aredisposed. A main drive shaft 5 is supported in bearings in the framesand is driven through a clutch 6 by a motor 7 and the loom includes theusual reed 8 and harnesses 9 for shedding. The weft yarn It) is drawnoff a supply bobbin 11 and picked by a gripper shuttle 12, which is shotby a picking mechanism 13 through the shed through a shuttle guide 14and into a shuttle box 15. Selvage devices 16 are disposed at the sideedges of the warp near the picking mechanism and the shuttle box andinclude means for centering the picked weft yarn and edge yarn clampsfor clamping the weft yarn. The clamp remote from the shuttle box isprovided with means for severing the picked weft yarns and both clampsare operable to draw the projecting ends of the picked weft yarns overselvage needles 47 disposed near the clamps. The loom includes the usualdetector 17 which releases the clutch 6 to stop the loom if the shuttleis delayed in entering the shuttle box or fails to complete its flight.

The harnesses 9 for shedding the warp yarns include hcddles 78 for allthe warp yarns except the presser warp yarns, which are handled duringshedding by individual heddles 75. The heddles are actuated by meansindependent of the means for operating the harnesses and constructed asfollows.

A pivot pin 61 is mounted on a bracket attached to one of the loom girtsand a lever with arms 62, 63 is mounted for movement on the pin. Aspring 64 encircling a bolt 65 threaded into the girt is seated at oneend against the head of the bolt and its other end bears against the arm62 of the lever. The arm 63 of the lever carries a roller 66 hearingagainst a cam 67 on the cam shaft 5 of the loom, and the free end of thearm is connected to one end of a link 68 having its other end connectedadjustahly by a bolt 69 to a forked lever 72 on a shaft 71 extendingtransversely of the loom. The shaft 71 ordinarily carries an arm 73 foreach of the heddles 75 and each arm is connected to its heddle by a pin74, which is mounted on the outer end of the arm and is received in ahook 76 at the lower end of the heddle. At its upper end, each heddle isattached to the lower end of a spring 77 having its upper end attachedto a fixed part of; the loom structure.

With the parts shown as FIG. 9, the presser warp yarn 33 is in centralshed position and lies in a horizontal plane disposed below the flightpath of the shuttle 12 and above the path of movement of the needle 47.Once per revolution of the main loom shaft, that is, once per weavingcycle, the lobe of the cam 67 bears against roller 66 and moves thelever 62, 63 to draw the heddle 75 down to move the presser warp yarn 33to the bottom shed position. When the lobe passes beyond the roller, thespring 64 rocks the lever 62, 63 counterclockwise to return it to itsoriginal position and the spring 77 raises the heddle 75 to return thepresser warp yarn 33 to the central shed position.

When the loom is employed in the production of two webs, the shaft 71 isprovided with arms 73 near its ends and a pair of arms 73 lying closetogether and adjacent its midpoint. The outer arms 73 are employed foroperatin the heddles for the presser Warp yarns in the remote selvagesof the webs and the inner arms operate the heddles for the presser warpyarns in the adjacent selva axes of the webs. If each selvage is tocontain more than a single presser warp yarn, the pins 74 may becircumferentialiy grooved so that a number of heddles may be attached toeach pin to be operated thereby.

I claim:

1. A method of weaving a fabric including warp yarns, Weft yarns, and atleast one presser warp yarn adjacent to a selvage of the fabric, saidpresser warp yarn being in terlaced with severed weft yarns having theirends tucked into the fabric to cross a plurality of warp yarns and saidpressed warp yarn so as to form a selvage, which method comprises duringeach of a succession of cycles forming a warp shed, moving the presseryarn from one open shed position to a central shed position, inserting aweft yarn 3 into the shed outside the space between said central shedposition and said one open shed position, severing the weft yarn,tucking into the shed between the presser yarn and said one open shedposition the end of the weft yarn inserted and severed in the precedingcycle, returning the presser yarn to its said one open shed position toclamp said tucked-in end against other warp yarns in said one open shedposition, and beating up the inserted weft yarn and said tucked-in end,the warp yarns occupying successively upper and lower open shedpositions on successive ones of said cycles and said presser warp yarnbeing moved between a central shed position and the same said one openshed position on a plurality of successive cycles.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the presscr warp yarn isreturned to its previous open position near the end of the insertion ofthe weft yarn.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which the presser warp yarn in itscentral position lies between the path of insertion of the weft yarn andthe path along which the end of the preceding weft yarn is tucked in.

4. A method according to claim 1, in which the fabric includes twopresser warp yarns adjacent to a selvage of the fabric, the shed isformed with one presser warp yarn in the top shed position and the otherin the bottom shed position, each presser warp yarn is moved to aposition beyond closed shed position, the end of the Weft yarn insertedin the previous cycle is tucked into the shed between the presser warpyarns, and the presser warp yarns are returned to their respective topand bottom shed positions.

5. A fabic which comprises warp yarns interlaced with severed weft yarnshaving their ends tucked into the fabric to cross a plurality of warpyarns to form selvages, the warp yarns crossed by the tucked-in ends ofthe weft yarns including at least one presser warp yarn which lies, withrespect to the two sides of the fabric, on the same side of a pluralityof adjacent weft yarns and on the opposite side of a tucked-in end ofeach of the yarns of that plurality.

6. A loom having a plurality of main warp yarns and a presser warp yarnintermediate the extreme ones of said main warp yarns, said loomcomprising two warp yarn harnesses for shedding of said main warp yarns,said harnesses being cyclically reciprocabie in opposite phases betweenupper and lower shed positions, said loom further comprising a heddleadjacent one side of the loom and separate from said harnesses forguiding said presser warp yarn, and means for driving said heddle intimed relation to said harnesses between a first location in which saidpresscr warp yarn occupies a central shed position and a second locationin which said presser warp yarn occupies a single one of. said upper andlower shed positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,948,051 2/1934 Rossmann 1391222,034,487 3/1936 Rossmann 139122 2,374,951 5/1945 Pedrazzo et al 1391222,802,488 8/1957 Opletal et al 13954 2,924,247 2/1960 Flamand 139553,083,738 4/1963 Pfarrwaller et a1. 139-122 3,144,882 8/1964 Steiner139-54 3,227,191 1/1966 Juillard 139-54 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,254,9461/1961 France. 1,324,932 3/1963 France.

979,215 1/1965 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Prinmry Examiner.

I. KEE CH1, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,361,164 January 2 1968 Josef Kathriner It is hereby certified that errorappears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that thesaid Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1 line 20, for "neck" read next line 46 after "laced" insert warpSigned and sealed this 8th day of April 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Ir.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

1. A METHOD OF WEAVING A FABRIC INCLUDING WARP YARNS, WEFT YARNS, AND ATLEAST ONE PRESSER WARP YARN ADJACENT TO A SELVAGE OF THE FABRIC, SAIDPRESSER WARP YARN BEING TERLACED WITH SEVERED WEFT YARNS HAVING THEIRENDS TUCKED INTO THE FABRIC TO CROSS A PLURALITY OF WARP YARNS AND SAIDPRESSED WARP YARN SO AS TO FORM A SELVAGE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES DURINGEACH OF A SUCCESSION OF CYCLES FORMING A WARP SHED, MOVING THE PRESSERYARN FROM ONE OPEN SHED POSITION TO A CENTRAL SHED POSITION, INSERTING AWEFT YARN INTO THE SHED OUTSIDE THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID CENTRAL SHEDPOSITION AND SAID ONE OPEN SHED POSITION, SEVERING THE WEFT YARN,TUCKING INTO THE SHED BETWEEN THE PRESSER